The Dream Catcher
by plutosenshi2000
Summary: The story begins five years after the Sailor Moon Sailor Stars season
1. New Lives

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi. I do not own any rights to them, nor ever will.  
  
CHAPTER 1: NEW LIVES  
  
Far away in the galaxy, ancient Dream Master was waking up. The time flow was about to be disturbed and future was going to change once again.  
  
Usagi looked up. It was night but the stars were shining bright. Right then a shooting star lit its way across the sky. "Seiya" she said out loud. It's been almost 5 years since Seiya and his friends left the Earth. Usagi wondered if they remembered her. She missed them a lot. She wanted to see them once more. Were they able to rebuild their home? She wondered. After the final battle with Sailor Galaxia it has been very quiet on Earth. The girls settled down to their own lives. Makoto opened her little café with cakes, and other goodies. Minako's dream also came true. She was an idol and her songs were climbing up the charts very fast. Rei stayed at the temple. Her grandfather died the previous year and she was trying to keep the shrine going. Yuuichirou was helping out a lot. He came back after the death of Rei's grandfather. They recently decided to get married. Ami got a job at the hospital where her mother worked. She was still studying for the doctor's degree, but she was already one of the best. The patients developed a great trust to this young girl. But who wouldn't? Usagi smiled thinking of her friends. Mamoru. He went back to the USA shortly after the final battle, to finish his studies. He wanted Usagi to go with him, but, even though she wanted to do that more than anything in the world, she stayed behind. She had to make sure that everything was really back to normal. It was a long year for both of them, but they survived. Now they were finally together. Usagi couldn't wish for anything more, and yet, she felt a great sadness in her heart. Something was missing. or rather somebody. Haruka and Michiru left Tokyo and nobody knew where they were. Setsuna went back to guarding the Time Gate. Poor Setsuna, Usagi sighed, all alone again, for all eternity. If she only could visit her, but it was impossible. Seiya, Yaten, Taiki, and princess Kakyuu were far away on Kinmoku. There was no way to contact them. Hotaru moved away with her father. They've been getting postcards from her from time to time, but that was it. It looked like the great Sailor Team didn't exist anymore.  
  
Usagi started to walk home again. She got a little chilly standing outside all that time. When she got home she turned on the TV and went to the kitchen to fix a cup of hot chocolate for herself. Mamoru was still at work. They got married about two years ago and moved into Mamoru's apartment right after the wedding. Luna and Artemis lived with them as well. Because of Minako's popularity she was on the road a lot, so they all decided it was best if Artemis lived with them.  
  
"Look, it's Minako," Usagi reached for the remote control and turned up the volume. Minako looked beautiful. She was dressed in a short yellow top and a red mini skirt. Her golden hair was flowing with the rhythm of the song. She still wore the red ribbon. Usagi remembered that a boy gave it to Minako while she was in England. "I wonder if she met Alan again," thought Usagi to herself. She knew that Minako just recently was on a tour in Great Britain. The colors she was wearing reminded Usagi about the sailor team and big tears started to roll down her cheeks. She stood up quickly. "I'm going to lie down. I'm tired" she did feel tired because of the emotional roller coaster she was going through. She had no idea how long it was going to last, or if it would ever go away. She lied down on her bed and fell asleep instantly. Meanwhile in the living room Luna and Artemis were talking.  
  
"I worry about Usagi," said Luna making sure not to talk too loud. "She's been very quiet lately, and she doesn't eat much either".  
  
"Yes, I've noticed" Artemis looked very concerned. "Do you have any idea why?"  
  
"Not really." Luna went over to the window. "But I think we should discuss it with Mamoru."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
On the other side of town a young woman was praying. She had a bad feeling. Something was brewing and she had no idea what or where. She tried the old proven way of fire reading but this time it didn't work. The door opened quietly.  
  
"You know you should try to rest a bit" Yuuichirou said with concern, "maybe later you'll get a reading on what's bothering you." Rei shook her head. She closed her eyes for a moment and got up.  
  
"It's nothing." She smiled, "I guess I'm just losing the touch." But they both knew it wasn't true. Rei was more in tune with what was going on in the Universe than ever before. She became gentler ever since Yuuichirou came to stay with her at the temple. She finally realized how much he meant to her.  
  
"Rei?" he looked at her softly, "Do you think Sailor Mars will have to fight again?" Rei shivered. She hadn't heard this name in a long time. She didn't have to tell him who Sailor Mars was. He figured it out long time ago. That was one of the reasons why he left the temple in first place. He knew he couldn't compete with her job in saving the world. When he heard that Rei's grandfather died he decided to try his luck. He called her one day and they got back together. Old memories started going through Rei's head. She was so busy with her own life that she hardly thought about the times she spent as Sailor Senshi. It seemed like ages had passed by, since the last time she talked to any of the other girls.  
  
"Gentle Ami, strong Makoto, big mouth Minako and cry baby Usagi, I wonder how they all are doing?" she sighed. Yuuichirou didn't say anything. He knew the risk of losing her if she ever went back to her old life. He didn't want that to happen, but he knew that in a case of a new threat to the world, she would have to battle again.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Makoto, I think it's time to close."  
  
"You're right, Yumiko" Makoto looked at her helper, a 16 years old girl, with bright blue eyes and long brown hair. She started working at the café last summer to earn some money for her school. With her cheerful disposition she brought a lot of light into Mako's life. She was like a younger sister that Makoto never had. Yumiko reminded Makoto of herself when she was that age. The girl wasn't as strong but she had the same dreams and ideas. Makoto's thoughts traveled back in time. She suddenly remembered other girls, who just like her where full of dreams. They all had to grow up too soon. Saving the world wasn't easy, but it was worth it.  
  
They closed all the doors, making sure everything was in place.  
  
"Good night, Yumiko" The girl quickly bowed in front of Makoto, then turned around and went home. Makoto watched her for few seconds and then headed home as well. She walked into her apartment, the same one since she was a girl, and decided to take a long, relaxing bath. Her head was full of memories. She closed her eyes. She didn't want to think about the past. She had her little store and nothing else mattered. She got out of the bathtub and sat down in front of the mirror. She reached into one of the drawers to get a candle, but before she picked it up something else caught her attention. A small green object was sticking out from underneath a scarf. She picked it up and shivered. It was her transformation stick. "How did it get here?" she thought to herself. She knew it meant something, but she didn't want to think about it.  
  
"Not now... I'm happy. I've had enough fighting. I want to live a normal life." Makoto shoved the pen back into the drawer and covered it up, hoping that it would change the fact that she was Sailor Jupiter. Makoto sighed. She decided it was time to go to bed. She had to get up early in the morning and get a few extra things for her shop. She had trouble falling asleep, but finally exhaustion took over.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Minako finished her song. Everybody was applauding. Fans loved her and she loved them. She always wanted to be a star and her dream finally came true. She hoped that this moment would last forever. The band started to play a tune. She knew her next song very well. It was the same song she won a contest five years ago. "Route Venus" became a hit the first time she sang it. And it stayed on top of the charts for many weeks. Minako couldn't have hoped for a better start in her career.  
  
"Open that door in the time that's left  
  
Take a deep breath lift your eyes"  
  
The fans went crazy. They always screamed when it was played.  
  
"Stare straight ahead, give your last kiss, and start running"  
  
Minako blew a kiss to the audience and another wave of screaming hit the ceiling.  
  
"Truth is a wind, the dark is being torn away,  
  
Your heart is stopping, the roads are splitting  
  
Destiny's Star has decided, your choice is the white ROUTE"  
  
The stardom was her route, and she chose it with her whole heart, without any hesitation. She finally was free. She could do what she did best - sing.  
  
"The sea spreads out  
  
The wind shakes you"  
  
What was that? Minako thought she saw a couple of familiar silhouettes in the audience. But when she looked again they were gone. She tried to remember who the shadows reminded her of, but everything was so brief she forgot.  
  
"Your duty, don't forget who you love most, It's hard, but looking away from here  
  
The desert's dawn"  
  
What's happening with me today? Minako's mind was going hundred miles per hour. Her thoughts were searching for something, some familiar memories. Girl, you need to concentrate on the song, she reprimanded herself.  
  
"The roads are separating  
  
The star of fate is decided  
  
My chosen blue route"  
  
The roads are separating... her road had separated long time ago from, what she thought then, was her destiny. The concert was over. She always played the song last, but today she didn't feel the usual satisfaction. She went behind the stage and sat down.  
  
"Are you all right?" Minako looked up. It was the young guitarist from her band. She had a crush on him, but he treated her only as a member of the band and a star of the show. Any other time she would be happy to talk to him, but today her thoughts were going their own ways. She nodded to him, then got up from her seat, and went to her dressing room. She was tired. Today was the last concert for the season. It was time for writing and recording new songs. She quickly changed to more comfortable clothes and went home.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
A 21 years old girl in a doctor's outfit walked down the hall. She was responding to another call. She already finished her shift, but she would never turn down a request from a patient. She walked into the room of an 82 years old woman.  
  
"Hello, Mrs. Mansfield." Ami smiled. The woman smiled back, but her smile was faint. The woman was very sick. Her skin was as thin as a paper. She had cancer and she didn't have much time to live. Ami felt sorry for her. She would do anything to bring a little sunshine to Mrs. Mansfield's last days.  
  
"Ami, it's so nice to see you." The lady barely talked.  
  
"What can I do for you, Mrs. Mansfield?"  
  
The lady motioned Ami with her eyes to get closer. When Ami leaned over. "There is something in my drawer" the lady whispered. She made a pause to gather energy. "I want you to have it." Ami wanted to protest, but the lady kept talking. "It belonged to my husband. It was his family treasure." Mrs. Mansfield breathed real hard by now, making longer breaks between words. Ami wanted her to rest, but the lady wouldn't listen.  
  
"You are a very special person, Ami." She made even longer break this time. It seemed like her breath was running out rapidly. Ami feared the worse. When Mrs. Mansfield rested enough, she continued. "You brought so much joy into my life." She made another pause, this time she was coughing very hard. Ami lifted her a little to make it easier. She was amazed how light the lady was. She barely weighted anything. When the cough stopped, Mrs. Mansfield looked at Ami and whispered with struggle  
  
"Remember, when the bad happens in the world, you will need all the help you can get." Ami looked at her surprised. Mrs. Mansfield smiled at her mysteriously, and with the big sigh she fell back on her pillow. Ami gently caressed her cheek but the lady didn't react to it.  
  
"Mrs. Mansfield?" Ami asked nervously. "Mrs. Mansfield?" she asked again, this time much louder, and gently shook the lady's shoulders. Nothing... Ami checked the pulse. Nothing... Tears started to roll down her cheeks. When she settled down a bit she opened the top drawer in the little table by the lady's bed. All there was inside was a small ring with some colorful beads and few feathers attached to it. The ring was filed with some sort of spider web made out of twine. Ami picked it up. Underneath the ring were a few pieces of old looking paper. When she opened it, the first thing she noticed was writing on top of the page. It said "Dream Catcher", and was written with a blue ink, where the rest of the writing was in black. Ami put the things in her pocket. She finally rang the bell to get help. The doctor wrote down the time Mrs. Mansfield died. And soon they took away her body. Ami looked the room over once again. She knew she was going to miss the old lady, who was like a grandmother to her. She finally walked out the door and went home forgetting all about the little gift in her pocket.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
That night, when Mamoru came home he had a long talk with Luna and Artemis.  
  
"We worry about Usagi." Said Artemis "She hasn't been herself lately"  
  
"I've noticed" Mamoru looked at the bedroom door with concern. Usagi was still sleeping. "I had a phone call at work today" he started after a short pause. The cats looked at him curiously. He usually didn't talk about his work much, so it had to be something important.  
  
"It was Michiru."  
  
"What?" Luna and Artemis exclaimed together. She and Haruka were the last people they expected to call. "She said that her mirror indicates new trouble." He continued. "She's not sure where it's coming from but it's going to effect us if we don't do something to stop it. Haruka and her already work on a new strategy."  
  
"We need to get the Sailor Team together." Luna looked worried. She knew the girls started a new life. She wasn't sure if they were going to leave everything behind to fight against the new enemy, especially that they didn't even know where and who it was. But she was counting on the loyalty they once felt towards the Moon Princess.  
  
"There is no need to disturb them." Everybody turned around. Usagi was standing in the bedroom door. Mamoru got up and approached her.  
  
"How long have you been standing there?"  
  
"Long enough," she looked at him and the tension on her face softened. He was more handsome than ever before, with his dark eyes and black hair.  
  
"Usagi, we need the team. Without it there is little chance of succeeding, even with the help of Uranus and Neptune." Luna tried to argue. Usagi shook her head.  
  
"No, it's been too long since the last fight." She replied. "Besides, I am the Moon Princess and Sailor Moon. I should have enough power to protect everyone."  
  
"We've heard that somewhere before." Artemis murmured to himself.  
  
"How about we contact Michiru and see how things are progressing." Mamoru tried to settle the argument. "And then we'll decide what to do with the rest of the team." Usagi and Luna looked at him and nodded. They all decided it was time to go to bed. A good night sleep might bring new ideas. But they weren't meant to have a restful night. That night everybody had a strange dream. The details might have varied, but one thing they had in common. They saw a forest, but it wasn't a normal forest. It looked more like a fruit garden. The trees were rather short. The bottom of the trunk was bare, because most of the branches grew from the top. The leaves were tiny and red. Suddenly a strong wind started to blow. A howling of a wolf came down from a hill behind the forest. The wolf started to run, even though it was impossible to see it, everybody knew it was coming. The wind was blowing harder and harder. There was a voice calling, but the wind blew the words away. The sky turned bright yellow and a big shadow covered the sun. The shadow was coming closer and closer... and suddenly the dream ended leaving everybody frightened, yet wanting more. 


	2. Sailor Team United

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi. I do not own any rights to them, nor ever will.  
  
CHAPTER 2: SAILOR TEAM UNITED  
  
Michiru got up early. She was always an early bird but today something just didn't let her sleep. She looked over her shoulder at the bed. Haruka was still sleeping bundled up in the covers. The blanket was slowly rising and falling with the rhythm of her breathing. Michiru smiled. They were happy together. There was no doubt about it. They had their ups and downs, of course, but she would never give up the life she led. Michiru stretched a little and then went to the kitchen. They lived in a small house right outside Tokyo. They wanted to move somewhere where nobody could find them, escape from the ordinary life, but they both knew they had to stick around and keep an eye on the Princess. Royalty or not, she was still young and needed protection. Michiru picked up her mirror. Yes, the Princess needed protection, now, more than ever before. Michiru sighed. Their simple lives were about to be disturbed again, but she didn't mind a little excitement. They got too comfortable. Haruka gained a few pounds in the past five years. She was really upset about it. A little exercise wouldn't hurt. Michiru giggled thinking about all this.  
  
"What are you laughing about?" Michiru turned around. Haruka's eyes were still half closed. She lazily ran her fingers through her hair and scratched her head.  
  
"Good Morning. That's an unusual view this time a day." Michiru smiled again. Haruka looked at her puzzled. Michiru didn't wait for a reply. "Well, usually I need a heavy duty canon to get you out of bed."  
  
Haruka grinned, rubbed her eyes and went to the bathroom. A minute later the water in the shower began to run. Meanwhile Michiru started fixing breakfast.  
  
"I guess since we are both up we might as well eat something." She thought. Soon the smell of cooked eggs and fresh brewed coffee filled the room. Haruka came out of the shower. Michiru thought she looked gorgeous with wet hair. They both sat down at the table and began to eat. Suddenly the doorbell rang. They looked at each other. Nobody visited them for the past several years. And they didn't expect visitors, especially so early in the morning. Michiru got up. She turned around to look at Haruka. Haruka nodded and Michiru finally opened the door. Their surprise was even bigger when they saw who was standing in front of them.  
  
"But... what... how..." Michiru was speechless. The tall girl in the door smiled. Her long black hair was waving in the morning breeze. The light brown dress accented the dark tan. "Aren't you going to invite me in?" Setsuna asked gently.  
  
"Please, come in." Michiru finally woke up. "I'm sorry, but you totally threw me off. Where did you come from? And how did you find us?" Setsuna greeted Haruka with a bow and then turned around towards Michiru.  
  
"I suspect you know why I'm here." It seemed like the room got darker. Suddenly a lot of tension built up between the girls. Michiru nodded and invitingly pointed to an empty chair. Setsuna sat down. She glanced at both girls and started to explain. "There is a strange vibration going around the Time Gate. I've seen things happen that weren't meant to be. It doesn't look good." She sighed. "If we don't undertake something the Crystal Tokyo will never rise." She looked at Haruka. "We need the Sailor Team. All nine soldiers. Unfortunately Sailor Chibimoon can't join us. She has other things she needs to take care of"  
  
"They will only get in the way." Haruka protested. "Like they always did."  
  
"No, Haruka, we really need everybody this time." Setsuna continued. "It's bigger than anything we've encountered before." She made a short pause. "Sailor Saturn will join us later today. Until then we should try to contact the others."  
  
"I already talked to Mamoru." Added Michiru. "You know, I had a dream last night that might have something to do with the new danger." And she described what she dreamed about. Setsuna and Haruka were more and more surprised as Michiru's story progressed. They could hardly wait till she was done and then they both shouted.  
  
"I dreamed the same." They looked at each other in shock.  
  
"What could that mean?" Haruka asked with reserve. She looked at Michiru but the girl just shrugged her shoulders. They sat quietly for few minutes trying to figure out the meaning of all that. Finally the phone broke the silence. Michiru picked it up.  
  
"Hello?" she recognized the voice right away. "Oh, Mamoru." The others turned towards the speaking. Michiru listened for a while. "Let me ask. By the way, Setsuna arrived this morning. The situation is more serious than we thought." And then turning around she said "Mamoru wants us to meet him for lunch today." Setsuna answered without waiting for Haruka's reply.  
  
"I think we should do it. After all we are trying to contact all the team members." Michiru listened again to the young man on the other side of the line. And, repeating the time of the meeting out loud, finished the conversation.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Mamoru hung up. Luna and Artemis were curious what he was told. "It seems that we will need the whole team after all." And looking at Usagi added, "Setsuna is already here." Everybody was surprised. Usagi's face lit up. She was finally going to see her lost friends again. She could hardly wait till 1 o'clock, which is when they were supposed to meet at the Crown. She hasn't been to the parlor in a long time. "I wonder if Unazuki still works there?" She thought to herself. Mamoru's voice brought her back to reality.  
  
"We need to contact Rei, Ami, Makoto and Minako." He said. Usagi jumped quickly up from the seat.  
  
"I'll go to the temple. I think the cafe is on the way to the shrine, so I'll drop by Mako-chan as well." Before anybody could say something she ran out the door tripping over her own shoes. Luna shook her head.  
  
"Maybe she hasn't changed as much as we thought after all." Artemis smiled. "I guess that leaves Ami and Minako. I'll pay Minako a visit." Luna decided to notify Ami. Mamoru nodded. The only one that's missing is Chibiusa. He missed her a lot. She might have been a pain in the neck sometimes, and she definitely loved to tease Usagi, but nevertheless she was their daughter and they loved her. He wondered... he hoped that Setsuna had some news about her. How was she doing in the future? Had she found a boyfriend? At that thought his heart sank. He was always going to treat Chibiusa as a little girl. And she was slowly turning into a young woman. Meanwhile Luna and Artemis left.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Usagi was skipping down the sidewalk feeling light as a bird. She could hardly wait to see the faces of her friends. "What are they going to say?" she wondered. The café was right around the corner from the park. It was an older building, but it looked like Makoto took a good care of renovating it. A little bell rang as Usagi opened the door. A young girl looked up from behind the counter.  
  
"May I help you?" Usagi looked surprised.  
  
"I'm looking for Makoto Kino. I thought she owned this shop."  
  
"I do." a familiar voice replied, and a young woman came out from behind a storage door. Usagi thought Makoto looked great. Her hair was put up in a bundle. She wore a green turtle neck and black pants. "She hasn't changed much," thought Usagi. When Makoto saw who was asking for her, her face lit up. She was happy to see her old friend. They quickly exchanged hugs and Makoto invited Usagi to the back. They started to chat about everything and nothing, laughing merrily from time to time.  
  
Finally Usagi said, "I'm here for a reason." Makoto quieted down. She suddenly remembered the transformation pen in her drawer. "I knew it didn't mean anything good." She thought, but didn't say anything out laud, just looked seriously in Usagi's eyes.  
  
"Mamoru talked to Michiru yesterday. A new danger is threatening the world." Usagi continued. "We are supposed to meet today at one o'clock at the parlor." She made a pause.  
  
Makoto looked at the young woman in front of her again. "Who am I to turn away, when the world needs protection?" Usagi saw the struggle Makoto was going through in her mind. "I'll be there." She got up, making it clear that she wanted to be alone. Usagi left the store and started walking towards the temple. She realized how selfish she was thinking everybody would be happy about the news. All she saw was an opportunity to meet old friends. What she forgot about was the fact that they would most likely have to fight again. The closer she got to the temple the more scared she was of what Rei was going to say. Rei saw somebody climbing the many stairs that led to the temple. At first she thought somebody was coming to pray. But soon she realized who it was. She would always recognize those funny odangos. Only one person could wear that kind of hairdo. Usagi finally reached the top of the stairs and was panting heavily. She wasn't use to that kind of work out. "I need to start exercise more." She said to herself.  
  
"I couldn't agree more." She suddenly heard a familiar voice. "But knowing you I know it's just an empty speech."  
  
Usagi looked up. There she was, a young beautiful woman with eyes like amethyst, and hair as dark as the wings of a crow. She smiled, but her smile was rather cold.  
  
"Rei., I should have known you didn't change much." Usagi answered, "Always picking on me."  
  
"Well, it's your own fault. You never proved us that you can do better." She turned away from Usagi and started walking towards the buildings.  
  
"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Rei just looked over her shoulder, "I know you're going to follow me anyway, so what's the point." And she kept walking.  
  
"Just so you know, I'm not going to chase after you." Usagi yelled, more and more annoyed. Now she turned around and was about to walk away, when she realized why she was there. With the big sigh and angry expression on her face she followed Rei inside. Rei was sitting at the fire.  
  
"Why are you here? I don't collect manga anymore" She said when she heard the door open, "And make it short." She added quickly.  
  
"Michiru has some news about a new danger." Usagi started, still feeling angry, "The sailor team is supposed to meet at 1 o'clock at the parlor. Makoto, Haruka and Setsuna are also going to be there." she continued, "There, now you know." She was greatly surprised when Rei didn't do any stupid remarks. Instead the priestess was concentrating on the fire. Usagi went ahead and set down next to her. They sat quietly for quite a while. Finally Rei broke the silence.  
  
"I don't know what exactly is going on," she almost whispered, "but I saw the new danger in the holy fire." She paused and turned her head looking straight at Usagi. "I'll be at the parlor at 1. You can count on that." Usagi nodded. Then she got up and left. Meanwhile Artemis and Luna contacted the other girls. It looked like the whole team was going to unite again to fight the evil.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
That same afternoon everybody showed up in the Crown. The first ones to arrive where Michiru and Haruka. Setsuna stayed behind to wait for Hotaru, but it didn't take them long to catch up. Next came Ami, Rei and Makoto. The girls met outside as they were approaching the parlor. Minako showed up shortly after, bringing Luna and Artemis with her. Usagi and Mamoru arrived last.  
  
"Late, as usual." Rei welcomed them with a sharp remark. Usagi stuck her tongue out at her. Rei did the same and the arguing had begun. Makoto and Ami just shook their heads. Mamoru rolled his eyes.  
  
Minako was giggling, "Just like old times." She laughed.  
  
"Would you stop that?" Luna yelled. "You haven't seen each other for five years, but apparently nothing has changed." Both girls looked up at her surprised. They blushed and sat down, each in her corner.  
  
Michiru turned to Haruka and said, "I knew it was going to be interesting." Haruka just smirked and the meeting finally began. 


	3. Destination

Disclaimer: The Characters do not belong to me. They are the property of Naoko Takeuchi.  
  
CHAPTER 3: DESTINATION  
  
Rei was staring at her plate for the longest time. She wasn't sure how to tell Yuuichirou about her going back to the old life style. It was decided at the Crown that afternoon that the sailor team was going to reunite, even though it wasn't clear where the danger was coming from. One thing was certain, it was there. Rei could feel it for quite some time, and Michiru only confirmed her suspicions. She shook her had. "I can't put it off any longer," she thought. She opened her mouth, but something terrible interrupted her. A loud crash came from the outside and the whole building shook.  
  
"What was that?" Yuuichirou shouted out, but Rei was already heading out the door. When she got to the back yard, first thing she saw was a great crater. She approached it cautiously. At the bottom of the hole laid a huge meteor. The collision with the ground split it open. Rei noticed something inside. She started to climb down to it. Yuuichirou tried to stop her, but her old stubborn self and curiosity told her to keep going. She finally got to the bottom. She slowly peeked inside the meteor. She saw a metal thing in the shape of an egg. She tried to pick it up but the stone around it was still hot from going through the atmosphere. The girl waited. She was too anxious to see what it was to leave it behind. After a while it cooled off enough for her to be able to kick the stone aside and get the alien egg out. She took it inside. Yuuichirou tried to follow her, but she forbid. Rei noticed the egg had a few buttons on it. It looked almost like buttons on a cassette player. She pushed one of them. The egg started to vibrate and surprised Rei dropped it on the floor. A little window popped up and a holographic image started to display right in front of the shocked girl. It was the image of a young woman in a red dress with long hair put together in two ponytails. She had a blue ribbon around her neck and an orange flower on her forehead. The girl was nervously repeating one sentence "Sailors of the Universe, please, help". Rei was staring at that for a long while. Finally she opened her mouth and whispered in great disbelief "Princess Kakyuu". That night everybody gathered in Rei's room. They already knew about the message. Now the important thing was to decide what to do about it.  
  
"All we know is that something is wrong on Kinmoku" Luna started, "but right now we have our own problems." She looked around. "We can't just leave everything behind and go save their world."  
  
"Luna is right," Ami agreed "Our own planet is in danger and.."  
  
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Usagi interrupted "They helped us when we needed them. All of them were on our side, Princess Kakyuu saved my life." She was getting agitated. "And what about Sailor Starfighter, Starmaker and Starhealer? They fought to protect our planet. We can't just turn our backs on them." Her face got all red from emotions.  
  
Rei looked at her. "Cry baby or not, she always had her heart in the right place." She thought to herself.  
  
"I'm not saying we have to drop everything and go help them," she said out loud instead, "but I think we should at least try to investigate. Maybe it's related." She continued.  
  
"It could be," Michiru added. "After all we don't know where the evil is coming from. It could originate on Kinmoku." Everybody nodded.  
  
"Yeah, after all Galaxia came to us from the same region." Minako pitched in. A faint shadow of pain covered Usagi's face for split of a second. The name brought some sad memories back. The only one who noticed anything was Mamoru. He quickly squeezed her hand under the table. That little gesture brought a smile back on Usagi's face. He always knew how to make her feel better. The other girls where still talking about Galaxia, when Setsuna decided to interrupt.  
  
"We have to go to Kinmoku" The longhaired beauty said. Everybody looked at her surprised. She paused. And then add in a very sad voice "I didn't want to tell you earlier, but. the future doesn't exist." One could hear a pin drop after those words. First one to wake up was Mamoru.  
  
"What do you mean, the future doesn't exist? There has to be some kind of future."  
  
Setsuna looked at him with great sadness. "There is no Crystal Tokyo." She said slowly. "There is no Earth."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
That night everybody had another dream. It started the same as the last one. They saw a short red forest and hills behind it. They heard the wolf's howling again, this time a lot closer. The huge shadow was covering the whole sky leaving only a tiny ray of light in the middle, just enough to see the landscape. The wind was even stronger than the last time, but something was different. Instead of blowing the voice away, the wind brought the calling nearer. Somebody was screaming "Please, help." And they knew exactly whose voice it was. They couldn't see where Princess Kakyuu was at, but they knew it was her. Mamoru sit up suddenly with a silent scream on his lips. "The future doesn't exist", those words still echoes in his head. He wiped the sweat of his forehead and looked to his side. Usagi was still sleeping, but she was tossing around as if she was dreaming about something bad. Mamoru would be surprised if any of them had a restful night after what they heard that evening. He slowly got up from the bed and went to the kitchen. He fixed himself some green tea and sat down at the table. His mind was spinning as he remembered Setsuna's words. He couldn't believe that the future they were looking forward to so much didn't exist. How could that have happened? Setsuna didn't reveal the details, but what she said was enough for everybody to agree on the trip to Kinmoku. He lowered his head onto his chest.  
  
"My little Chibiusa.." He whispered. "My little Princess." He couldn't believe that she was gone. How could someone just disappear like that? Or was it rather the matter of never been born? He slammed his hand on the table. They had to get her back, no matter the cost. His face tensed up. He didn't even hear when Usagi entered the room. She came up from behind and touched his shoulder. Mamoru turned around so sudden that he almost knocked Usagi down onto the floor. She managed to hold up. When he saw what happened he grabbed on to her and hid his face in the folds of her nightgown. Usagi gently caressed his hair. At that moment something strange happened. Mamoru's shoulders started to shake and soon he began to sob. She was totally shocked. That strong man, who was always protecting her, supporting her whenever she needed him, was crying. As soon as his grip loosened up she knelt down and wiped the tears of his face.  
  
"Everything will be all right." She smiled sadly. He looked deeply into her eyes, pulled her face towards him and kissed her lips. There was so much passion and longing in it that it almost took her breath away.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
That night Ami woke up feeling that she was forgetting something. She got up, went to the kitchen and stood there for few minutes trying to figure out what she was looking for. She poured herself a glass of milk. She went to her room and set down at her desk She reached into the top drawer to get some paper and a pen, but instead her hand brushed up against a strange object. She took it out. It was the dream catcher that she received from Mrs. Mansfield just before the old lady died. She pulled the papers that went with it out and started to read. The first two pages were written in a language she didn't know. The next part was written in English. The very top raw said:  
  
"This is the translation of the legend about The Dream Catcher as told by the Ojibwe"  
  
Ami knew from reading a lot of things online, that Ojibwe was a Native American tribe.  
  
"How did this got here?" she thought. The only reasonable explanation was that Mrs. Mansfield's husband was Native American. After all she did say it was her husband's family treasure. She went back to reading the story.  
  
"Long ago in the ancient world of the Ojibwe Nation, the Clans were all located in one general area of that place known as Turtle Island. This is the way that the old Ojibwe storytellers say how Spider Woman helped Wanabozhoo bring sun back to the people. To this day, the Spider Woman will build her special lodge before dawn. If you are awake at dawn, as you should be, look for her lodge and you will see this miracle of how she captured the sunrise as the light sparkles on the dew which is gathered there. The Spider Woman took care of her children, the people of the land, and she continues to do so to this day. When the Ojibwe Nation dispersed to the four corners of the World, to fill a prophecy, the Spider Woman had a difficult time making her journey to all those cradle boards, so the mothers, sisters, & grandmothers took up the practice of weaving the magical webs for the new babies using willow hoops and sinew or cordage made from plants. It is in the shape of a circle to represent how the sun travels each day across the sky. The dream catcher will filter out all the bad dreams & allow only good thoughts to enter into our minds."  
  
Ami stopped reading for a moment. She remembered the old lady say, that when the bad happened in the world, she would need all the help she could get. But what she meant by that was still a mystery and Ami wasn't sure what the dream catcher had to do with it. She began to read again.  
  
"You will see a small hole in the center of each dream catcher where those good thoughts may come through. With the first rays of sunlight, the bad dreams would perish. When we see a little spider, we should not fear her, but instead respect and protect her. In honor of their origin, the number of points where the web connected to the hoop numbered eight for Spider Woman's eight legs or 7 for the Seven Prophecies. It was traditional to put a feather in the center of the dream catcher; it means breath, or air. It is essential for life."  
  
Ami put the things back in the drawer. She didn't understand the meaning behind all that. She decided to take it with her though when the time came to leave for Kinmoku. She couldn't explain it, but she had a feeling they were going to need it. She went back to bed with some sort of satisfaction.  
  
The next few days were busy for the girls. They were trying to decide if they needed to take anything with them on the road. Plus they had to give some kind of reasonable explanation, to their families and friends, on where they were going to be. It was actually quite difficult, because they didn't know how long they were going to be gone and if they would ever come back.  
  
Ami spent a lot of time trying to find out more about the communicator that they got from Princess Kakyuu. She managed to hook it up to the computer and at one point pulled up some sort of a map. It had the names and coordinates of the Galaxies. But most important it showed the way to Kinmoku.  
  
It looked like everything was set. They met at Rei's temple. That night even Usagi was on time, which surprised everybody. They did assume though that it was Mamoru's influence rather than anything else. They didn't talk much, but once everybody was there they transformed into their senshi form. They gathered in a circle and soon they were calling upon their powers. Every single senshi, even Tuxedo Mask, started to glow with the aura of the guardian planet. The time came for the final call. Everybody looked up to the sky and in unity shouted "Sailor Teleport!" Their bodies turned into a ball of energy and soon they disappeared from the face of Earth. Luna had tears in her eyes. Artemis and she were left behind to keep an eye on the events on their home planet. Nobody knew if they were going to see one another ever again.  
  
The travel through space was long and exhausting. They had no idea how much time had passed by. Everybody was starting to feel the difficulties of the trip. Their hands were getting tired. After all they had to hold on to one another all the time for the teleport to even work, not to mention, they probably would get separated and lost if they let go. They passed by some beautiful galaxies, but they didn't make any stops. First of all they didn't have time for that, and second they didn't know what they would come across on those unknown planets.  
  
Sailor Mercury had her special glasses on ever since they left the Earth, and finally, after what seemed like eternity, she announced their arrival at Kinmoku. In front of them appeared a small red planet with two rings. It was about the size of Venus in their own solar system, but it reminded them more of Saturn than any other planet. They finally approached Kinmoku. The planet had one big continent on the north side and eight smaller islands scattered around it. They knew from the communicator where to land to find Princess Kakyuu and the Starlights. When they entered the atmosphere something unexpected and horrifying happened. A strong blast tore the sailor ring apart and the senshi got separated from each other losing any contact what so ever.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The sound of footsteps filled the air in the usually quiet hall. A long legged soldier ran as fast as she could. Her black hair was pulled in a ponytail and tied with a blue ribbon right above the neck, leaving only a few strands hanging over her blue eyes. The girl wore tight black shorts, long black gloves and black boots. Her black top was decorated with an ornament in the shape of two tiny wings. There was a lot of tension in her beautiful face. She reached the door at the end of the hallway and knocked vigorously. Nobody answered, so she pounded the door.  
  
"Your Highness!" she called out. The door slowly opened. The soldier walked in and bowed. The lady in the room was facing away from the girl. She was dressed in a long red dress with yellow sleeves. The hat she wore was decorated with gems and flowers. Her long red hair was tied in two ponytails. The lady turned around and smiled.  
  
"What is it, Fighter?" The young soldier stood up and approached the lady.  
  
"Princess Kakyuu," she started, "We have just received a report about an invasion. Our Southern Observatory noticed a large object approaching our planet from the outer ring." Princess Kakyuu's face saddened.  
  
"How many intruders are there?" she asked softly.  
  
"We believe there were total of ten. That's the number of pieces the object split into after entering our atmosphere. Healer and Maker are already trying to locate the landing points of the enemies." Sailor Starfighter finished her report and waited for a response. Princess Kakyuu's ruby eyes darkened as she thought about what had been happening in her kingdom.  
  
It all started when a strange ball of energy crashed into the planet's Northern Hemisphere. When they arrived at the destination they didn't find anything. Instead a lot of unexplained things started to happen. They were receiving reports about whole towns disappearing without a trace. As hard as they tried they couldn't find the enemy. And since they had no idea where to look for it they couldn't fight it either. That was when Princess Kakyuu decided to send messages throughout the galaxy asking for help. So far there was no response. And now new invaders appeared. The young soldiers were getting frustrated. There were only four of them, Starfighter, Starhealer, Starmaker, and Fireball, definitely not enough. They needed help, badly, but they had no idea where else to turn.  
  
"Princess?" Starfighter whispered. "What are we going to do?" Kakyuu smiled gently and took her brave senshi by the hand.  
  
"My dear Starfighter, never lose hope. Remember the times, when Galaxia attacked the Universe?" Sailor Starfighter just nodded. She remembered well. "Sailor Moon never gave up. And we shouldn't either." The name of Sailor Moon caused Fighter's heart to beat faster. She thought about that girl a lot. The time the black-haired girl spent as a man on Earth changed her forever. Those were rough times, but if she could, she would turn back time, just to be with that blond "odango" again. She had never told anyone, or even admitted to herself, that she missed Usagi terribly. Starfighter shook her head to get rid of those thoughts. She had to worry about the present and leave the past behind. Somebody knocked on the door and a moment later another girl walked in and bowed. She was dressed similar to Starfighter. She was taller than the other one. Her brown hair was also pulled into a ponytail, leaving her forehead bare.  
  
"Maker, I hope you are bringing us some good news." The Princess welcomed the new senshi with a smile.  
  
"We found the locations where the ten objects had landed." The senshi pulled out a map and pointing to it started to explain. "We know that two of them landed on the main continent. The other eight landed on the islands of Ryujin, Raiden, Benten, Fudo, Ebisu, Emma, Fujin, and Shoki*. I would suggest that we start looking closest to us." With that she pointed to the south of the continent. Princess Kakyuu and Starfighter nodded in agreement. "Healer is getting the things ready for the expedition. We should be leaving in about an hour." Maker continued. "I suggest that you, Your Highness, stay behind. We don't know what we are dealing with." The princess smiled. Both senshi bowed in front of her and left the room.  
  
"Good luck." Kakyuu whispered and withdrew to her chambers.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
(*) the names are taken from the Japanese mythology. I will explain later what they mean and what is the purpose of using them. 


	4. The First Encounter

Disclaimer: Sailor Uranus doesn't belong to me. She is the property of Naoko Takeuchi. The Dream Master aka The Old Man was created by me, so please don't take him.  
  
CHAPTER 4: THE FIRST ENCOUNTER  
  
Sailor Uranus looked around. She was standing on top of a hill. It wasn't very high but it gave her a good overview of the surroundings. She already determined she was stranded on an island. Now she had to find a way to get to the main land and look for the Palace. Remembering the map Sailor Mercury showed all the senshi the continent had to be to the North. But which way was North. Uranus pulled her eyebrows together in annoyance. She didn't like the situation one bit. She didn't even know if anybody else survived.  
  
"If only Neptune was here." The tall blond girl didn't like to admit it, but her partner was the brain behind all their operations. Uranus was more the force that executed the plans Neptune made. It was a nice sunny day. The breeze from the ocean gently brushed the hair of the girl's forehead. She noticed something in the valley that looked like houses. Uranus decided to go there and find out where she was. She took another deep breath of the fresh air and began to run down the hill. Soon she was at the bottom, and heading straight for the buildings. Something didn't seem right though. It was too quiet. There was no smoke rising from the chimneys. She didn't hear any children playing, there were no animal sounds either, not even as much as a bird crying. Uranus slowed down. She walked up to the first house and knocked. There was no answer. She pushed the door. It gave in easily. "Hello?" She called inside. Nothing. She looked around carefully and walked in. The house was small. The main room had only one table standing in the middle. The four chairs that usually seem to be standing at that table laid around, like they were pushed away in a hurry or a struggle.  
  
"Is anybody here?" Uranus called again. She didn't wait for an answer. She knew there would be none. She walked to the backyard and noticed tracks on the ground. They led towards the nearby forest. The tall senshi decided to follow them with great caution. At first the trees were standing rather sporadically, but the further she went the more difficult it was to get through. Soon she had to crawl to follow the tracks, still trying to pay attention to the surrounding area. Suddenly the trees ended and Sailor Uranus found herself at the edge of a meadow with a lake in the middle. She stood up and cleaned her outfit a bit. She smiled looking in front of her. Whoever made those tracks left a nice, easy to follow trail in the tall grass. Uranus began to run. To her surprise the track ended at the lake.  
  
"Now what?" she said to herself getting really annoyed. She didn't follow the footprints just to turn around. She wasn't the kind that gave up easily. She walked around the lake looking for any other signs. When she didn't find anything she walked into the water. An unexpected current swept her off her feet and started to pull her to the bottom of the lake. Uranus began to squirm, fighting to get back to the shore. She began to run out of air. The girl was starting to panic. The fear added her strength. She was beating the water faster and with more force, but the current was stronger. Soon Uranus began to fall deeper and deeper into the water. Just as she thought she was going to die the current let go of her. She knew that she was too deep to get back to the surface before her lunges collapsed, but she had to do something. She began to swim upwards when she noticed an underwater cave. Uranus decided to try her luck. By now her body was hurting for air badly. She swam into the cave and noticed a dim light coming from above. She followed it. Suddenly her head popped out of the water and she caught air again in her lunges. It hurt tremendously. Tears started to fall down her cheeks.  
  
"I guess that's how babies feel, when they are first born." She thought pouting heavily.  
  
"Boy, am I glad to be alive!" She noticed a slim stripe of sand and crawl out of the water onto it. The girl was exhausted, but she didn't want to stay put. She got up and supporting herself against the walls began her journey around the cave. The water dripping from her outfit washed some of the sand away uncovering a solid rock. She turned around to see where she came from and noticed some writing on the opposite wall. After taking a few deep breaths she dragged her tired body over there. The letters she saw were similar to the ones in her homeland. Uranus began to spell the words out.  
  
"Fu." she looked closer and traced the letters with her fingers. "..jin." she looked again and repeated. "Fujin." After few more words the reading went easier.  
  
"I call upon thee Fujin, Master of the Winds! Help me put my whispers Into one warm scream, And change my breath Into a howling wind."  
  
"What is that all about?" Uranus wasn't sure what to think. Somehow she had a feeling it was important. She read it over and over until she was sure she remembered the words. She looked around again and noticed a stray of light coming from the right upper corner. She walked over there and noticed a tunnel. The opening was just big enough for the tall blond to crawl in. It was a tough journey up the hill, but she made it. To her surprise she found herself on top of the same hill she stood at the beginning of the trip. Everything was the same, or was it really? Uranus looked behind to take one last look at the hole she crawled out of, but it was gone.  
  
"What the heck?" She got down on her knees and began to feel the ground with her hands. "Maybe it's just covered by the grass" she hoped. She searched the area twice to make sure she didn't miss anything. The hole was gone. Uranus was puzzled.  
  
"Now what?" the whole situation started to get on her nerves. She saw the same houses down below, but that time she decided to go in the opposite direction. She already knew there was nothing in the village. She began to run down the wooded side of the hill getting deeper and deeper into the forest. It didn't take her long to get through the trees. To her surprise she found herself at the edge of the same meadow as before. The lake shone brightly with the reflection of the afternoon sun. It seemed to Uranus it was laughing at her.  
  
"It's impossible." Uranus thought, "It looks the same but it can't be. I went the other way." She cautiously approached the water. The closer she got the less she doubted. It was the same lake. Even the tracks she followed before were there.  
  
"I don't like that." She whispered to herself. She turned around and began to run, what she thought, up the hill, the same way she came, but when she came out of the trees she was looking at the exact same meadow again. No matter how many times Sailor Uranus tried to run away from the lake she always wound up in the same spot. Finally she decided to enter the water again. She didn't look forward to the feeling of drowning, but she made up her mind not to fight the current that time. To her surprise there was no current that would swipe her off her feet. Instead the lake disappeared and in its place there was a huge rock. The girl began to circle around it. She finally reached the other side.  
  
"You must be Sailor Uranus from the planet Earth." The girl jumped back at those words. She quickly looked around to find the person who said that and noticed an old man sitting on top of the rock. She blinked her eyes. He wasn't there before, she was sure about that. And how, the heck, did he know who she was? Uranus took on a position ready to fight.  
  
"You and your teammates are quite famous around this part of the Galaxy." The old man continued.  
  
"What do YOU know about me and my teammates?"  
  
"Enough to know that you all are going to die. And you'll go first" Sailor Uranus didn't wait any longer. She reached up into the sky and calling,  
  
"World Shaking!" send a huge ball of energy at the strange man. To the senshi's great terror the ball dissolved right before it reached the rock. The old man laughed in a screechy kind of voice.  
  
"You really think you have enough power to defeat me?" He looked at the blond with his beady eyes. The cloak he was wearing suddenly flew open and a gust of wind came out of it knocking Uranus down. "You don't know what you are dealing with." He smiled ironically. "If you knew you wouldn't let me beat you so easy."  
  
Uranus got up. She wasn't going to fail. She began to charge at the man and calling "Space Sword Blaster" attacked for the second time. The man yawned. He saw the sword coming and grabbed in mid air snatching it out of the girl's hand.  
  
"Hmmm" he looked at it curiously, "so that's the famous talisman." He held it in his hands, and without any force broke it in half. Uranus was shocked.  
  
"You really don't have a clue, do you? And I even gave you a clue." the old man was amused. The girl in front of him seemed so helpless. He could crush her right now, but he enjoyed himself too much. He decided to toy around with her a little more.  
  
"I think I'm going to have as much fun with your partner, Neptune, as I have with you." The man laughed again. Uranus sent him a deadly look. "Maybe even more. I'll probably make her suffer great pains."  
  
"Not after I'm done with you." Uranus jumped back up on the rock right next to the old man and started to send one punch after another. He avoided every single one, almost like he knew where she was going to hit, before she actually did. The old man started to laugh. Seeing that, Uranus jumped back. Panting heavily she tried to figure out a way to defeat the guy. Somehow it all seemed unreal, first the empty village, then the underwater cave, the tunnel that disappeared right after she came out of it, the meadow and the lake, almost like it was all a dream.  
  
With her last thought the old man on the rock became nervous. Uranus couldn't help but notice his reaction. She looked around, then turned towards the old man and looked straight in his eyes. "It is all a dream, am I right?" She thought intensely. The man was getting more nervous with her every thought. Uranus finally knew what she was up against. Now she had to figure out how to wake up. One thing was sure, she had to defeat the old guy first. She couldn't use her powers. He knew exactly their strong and weak points. No, she had to come up with a new strategy. "If only Neptune was here," she thought. The old man began to laugh.  
  
"She wouldn't help you either." He giggled. "You know, for a moment there I thought you had it all figured out, but I guess I overestimated you." Uranus just smirked.  
  
"Don't be so sure." She suddenly remembered the words she read in the cave. Still not quite sure how it was going to work she began to chant.  
  
"I call upon thee, Fujin, Master of the Winds! Help me put my whispers into one warm scream, and change my breath into a howling wind." A sudden energy began to flow through her body. She began to glow with a blue light and words began to form in her head. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and called out "Fujin Tornado". A sudden gust of wind flew from her towards the old man creating a whirlwind in a process. The old man tried to avoid it, but before he could jump away the wind sucked him in and tossed him on the ground. Before he could get up Uranus reached above her head with both arms and clapped her hands together saying "Spear of Scream". When she opened them a spear-like weapon rested in her right hand. Its metal head was in the shape of a diamond and had barbs on both sides. It was mounted on a white wooden shaft about 2 feet long. Uranus leaned back stretching her right arm behind her. And forcefully leaning forward tossed the spear at the old man. The man was so stunned by the new powers of the Senshi that he didn't make a move to avoid the weapon and it went right through his heart. At first he stood there surprised, as if he didn't understand what just happened. Then instead of blood his energy started to flow out of the wound. Uranus watched was happening. The man was shrinking and the smaller he got the more the surrounding began to change. Finally the old man disappeared and it became pitch dark. Uranus looked around and noticed a light coming from her right side. She slowly began to move towards it.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Sailor Uranus slowly opened her eyes. The sun blinded her for a split of a second, but soon she was looking around curiously. She was lying on a bed in her civilian clothes. She must have transformed back after she hit the ground, she figured. An older lady stood by her side trying to wash her feet. Haruka tried to move but her whole body was achy. The woman noticed the movement and smiled at the girl.  
  
"You'll be fine now." She said gently pushing Haruka back on the pillow. The toll blond relaxed. She seemed to be out of her nightmare and that was important. Now she needed a rest. She closed her eyes and fell asleep. This time she had more pleasant dreams.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Starfighter, Starhealer and Starmaker were approaching their destination quickly. Suddenly one of the girls stopped.  
  
"That's strange." Healer said puzzled looking at her scanner.  
  
"What's wrong?" Fighter was few steps ahead, so now she turned around.  
  
"One of the villages that we considered lost," Healer started slowly, "is back."  
  
"What do you mean 'it's back'?" Maker looked at the scanner.  
  
"That's what I mean, it's back." She repeated. "I don't know how it could be?"  
  
They all looked puzzled at one another. Finally Fighter decided it was time to go.  
  
"We can worry about it later." She said. "Right now we have to find those intruders as quickly as possible." She turned around and began to run.  
  
"You're right!" The other two girls followed her immediately.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
From the author: I'm afraid the next chapter might take a while longer before it's finished. Please be patient. 


	5. Lost and Found

CHAPTER 5: LOST AND FOUND  
  
"Mommy! I'm going to the beach!" a little ten-year old girl called heading out the door.  
  
"Ok, Aki, but don't go too far" A female voice answered from inside. Soon the girl was skipping down the boardwalk. It was a warm sunny day, perfect for gathering shells on the beach. She turned right off the path and following the water line began to pick beautiful shells and throwing them in a plastic bag. She was so busy looking under her feet that she almost tripped over a body lying partially in the water and partially on the sand. Aki shrieked at first. Finally she gathered up some courage and touched the girl. The stranger was still breathing. The little girl managed to pull her out onto the dry land. The unconscious girl moaned in pain. She was a lot older than Aki. She was dressed in a white body suit and a green mini skirt. The blue bow on her chest was partially torn. And the girl seemed to be missing her left glove. The little girl cleaned the sand of the stranger's face and was now admiring the perfect beauty. She had never seen anybody like that before. The older girl moaned again.  
  
"I'll be right back." The little girl whispered and ran off to get help. It wasn't long before she came back with her parents and other adults. Soon the older girl was transported into the nearby house and a doctor was called. Sailor Neptune slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was a strange man in a white suit leaning over her.  
  
"Oh, I see you've woken up." He smiled gently. "How do you feel?'  
  
"Where am I?" the girl tried to sit up, but the man gently pushed her back.  
  
"You are in Ebisu, the main town of the Island of Ebisu." He turned around to reach for some medication.  
  
"Ebisu?" Neptune couldn't remember ever hearing that name. "Where is this place?" The doctor turned around surprised. This girl never heard of Ebisu, how come?  
  
"Ebisu is one of the eight islands south from Kinmoku's main continent."  
  
"Kinmoku." Neptune repeated quietly closing her eyes. "We made it." She sighed. She opened her eyes again and turned to the man. "Where are the others? Are they all right?"  
  
"Others?" the doctor looked at her surprised. "You were alone when Aki, a local girl found you on the beach. The sea must have washed you out." He noticed the worry in her eyes. She tried to get up again, but the doctor wouldn't let her.  
  
"I have to find them." Neptune insisted.  
  
"All you need right now is rest." He said gently but firm. "Besides we would like to find out who you are."  
  
"I'm Sailor Neptune." She started. "Me and my friends came here from planet Earth." The doctor was surprised once again, but this time it was mixed with excitement.  
  
"I'm so happy to meet you." He grabbed her hand and started to shake it. "We've heard all about you and the Sailor Team." Neptune's eyes opened wide. They knew about them, but how? The doctor continued. "When Princess Kakyuu and the Starlights came back they told us all about Sailor Moon and how she and her senshi defeated Galaxia." The doctor finally let go of her hand and ran out to tell the others about the news. Neptune was left alone for few minutes. She finally had a chance to look around. She had a few bandages on her left leg and arm, but nothing seemed to be broken. "I guess the water soften the fall." She thought. The room she was in was simple, but cozy. Soon the doctor came back.  
  
"We've notified the Palace of your arrival. I'm sure they will send somebody to search for your friends." He said and gave her some sort of medication. Neptune began to feel drowsy and soon was asleep.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The Starlights entered the city and began to scan the surroundings for any signs of intrusion. Suddenly Healer's communicator began to ring. She looked at the other girls and answered it. It was from the palace.  
  
"We have just received a message that the Sailor Team from planet Earth arrived." Princess Kakyuu sounded very excited. The Starlights looked at each other and began to cry happy tears.  
  
"Those ten objects that we detected must have been them." Maker stated when she calmed down a bit.  
  
"There is one problem though. So far we have managed to get in touch only with Sailor Neptune. She's on Ebisu. We haven't heard anything from the other senshi." The princess continued.  
  
The other girls looked at each other again. One of the objects they thought to be enemy landed in the city they were currently in. Maybe it was one of the other team members. They promised Princess Kakyuu to be careful and went on with the search.  
  
Meanwhile a young woman, about 21 years old, woke up on a couch in an unfamiliar room. She lifted her head but immediately fell back down on the pillows. Her head was aching and she felt like every move was going to make it explode. She closed her eyes. "Is anybody here?" she called out after a long while. The door on the other side of the room opened and in stepped an older woman with a bowl of something steaming in her hand.  
  
"Hello." She smiled gently at the girl on the couch. "How are you doing? You've been sleeping for a long time."  
  
"Where am I?" the girl looked confused.  
  
"Don't worry. You are in my house. You're safe." She gently put a cold compress on the girl's forehead. "You seem to have hit your head pretty hard." The lady smiled again. The young woman relaxed. There was something calming in the other lady's smile.  
  
"I'm Yuki Fujimoto. What's your name?"  
  
"I don't know." The young girl looked at her in shock. As hard as she thought she could not remember her name. She didn't remember anything. "I really don't know." The girl began to cry desperately. Yuki pulled a few strings of blond her away from the young woman's forehead.  
  
"I guess the impact was harder than I though. It seems that you have lost your memories." The woman looked at the blond with a pity. Then with few comforting words managed to calm the girl down. She put the bowl of soup in front of the young woman. The blond looked at the food and immediately grabbed the spoon.  
  
"I see you haven't lost your appetite." The old lady smiled gently. "That's good. I need to go out now. I'm sure you'll be fine on your own." The eating girl just nodded. She was too busy swallowing her food to say anything. Yuki got up and left the room.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The Starlights didn't have much luck in their search. They had been asking all day if they had seen anything or anybody unusual. The scanners weren't much help either. The three young warriors finally reached the Town Hall. Out of lack of ideas they entered the building.  
  
"What are we going to do now?" Healer sounded concerned.  
  
"We need the Sailor team, but how are we ever going to find them." Maker was ready to give up the search. It seemed like they had been looking forever. Just then an older lady entered the hall.  
  
"Let's try one more time." Fighter suggested approaching the old woman. The girl wasn't ready to give up now. They knew the sailor senshi were there. They came all that way to help them fight the enemy. It seemed only right that they would keep searching.  
  
"Excuse me." She bowed in front of the old woman politely. "Have you seen anybody around that would seem lost or came from out of town?"  
  
The old lady looked at her surprised.  
  
"Well, I did find a girl who seemed to be lost. I came here to see if anybody was looking for her." The other two soldiers became excited.  
  
"What does she look like?" Maker asked quickly.  
  
"Well, she's a lot shorter than you are." The old woman began to describe the girl in her house. "And she has the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen." She thought for a moment. "Oh, and her long blond hair is pulled in two buns on top of her head."  
  
"That's Usagi!" all three girls exclaimed happily.  
  
"Is that her name?" Fighter was trying to find out.  
  
"I wouldn't know." The woman answered. "She doesn't remember."  
  
The old lady offered to take the three soldiers to her house in hope that they can help the poor girl. Soon they entered the room in which Usagi was resting. The blond girl looked up. When the Starlights saw her all three began to cry. They were asking questions and telling how happy they were to see her. But the more they talked the more confused the girl looked.  
  
"Who are you?" the girl finally asked. The three soldiers were shocked. How could she not remember them? They spent so much time on Earth fighting together. One just doesn't forget things like that. Fighter turned around to Yuki.  
  
"We will need to take her with us and let the doctor in the palace take a look at her." When Usagi heard that she began to cry.  
  
"I don't want to go. Please, don't let them take me away." She pleaded to Yuki. The old lady approached her and gently caressed the girl's cheek.  
  
"It's all right." She tried to calm her down. "These are our protectors. You don't need to be afraid. Besides, if anybody can help you then these girls can."  
  
Usagi stopped whining and looked at the three soldiers one more time. It seemed that she didn't have much choice but to go with them. She thought for a moment. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. They talked about Palace, and where is palace there is a lot of food. She smiled to herself. She nodded in agreement and few minutes later she was on the road to the capitol of Kinmoku.  
  
Princess Kakyuu waited for them impatiently. She knew from the Starlights that they found Sailor Moon. Finally they arrived and were immediately brought in to see the princess.  
  
"Usagi, I'm so happy to see you." Kakyuu approached the girl with a smile.  
  
"Do I know you?" Usagi looked at the other girl puzzled. Kakyuu was in shock. Fighter hurried with an explanation.  
  
"Your highness, unfortunately she suffers from amnesia."  
  
They summoned the medic as quickly as possible and Usagi was taken away. It was a long exam. Unfortunately the doctor wasn't able to determine if the girl's loss of memories was permanent. He recommended relaxation.  
  
"Time will show." He ended his briefing.  
  
"Maybe when we find the others, it will help her regain her memories." Kakyuu suggested. The three soldiers nodded and left to continue their search, Their next target was a small town of Onamuji, or rather what was left from it. The town recently disappeared, just like so many others. They couldn't determine the reason. Right now all they knew was that one of the senshi must have landed there.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Tuxedo Mask woke up in the middle of a cotton field. His body was sore and numb from hitting the ground, but amazingly nothing seemed broken. He slowly sat up trying to regain the rest of his senses. He looked around. A forest surrounded the field on three sides, on the fourth side Tuxedo Mask noticed some buildings. He got up and started walking towards them. The houses were small and the roofs were mostly covered with straw. He needed help, but he couldn't show up in the village like that. He looked down at himself. His cape was torn and covered with white fuzz, and his hat seemed to be lost. He decided to change back to his regular clothes.  
  
Mamoru approached the first house and knocked on the front door. Nobody answered. The building seemed empty. Mamoru looked at the window to the left and noticed the curtain move. He knocked on the door again.  
  
"Is anybody there? I need help." He called hoping that somebody would answer him. The curtain moved again. Mamoru decided to try one more time. "Could you at least tell me where I am?"  
  
Still nothing. "Maybe they don't understand my language." He thought disappointed, but he wasn't ready to give up yet. He turned around and walked out onto the main street. He saw some people far in front of him. He decided to catch up to them. Maybe they would be more willing to help. But before he could reach anybody, they hid in their houses. He looked around.  
  
"I hope the girls have more luck." He said out loud and followed the road. It led him to the Town Square. In the middle of it stood a huge stone obelisk. Mamoru walked up to it to read the words.  
  
  
  
"Oh powerful master Onamuji,  
  
You give us life, You feed us, You quench out thirst, And you give us a place To rest our tired bodies."  
  
"What are you looking at, stranger?" A voice came from behind. Mamoru sighed in relief. Finally somebody who wasn't afraid of him and spoke his language. He turned around and stepped back in shock. What he was looking at was a mirror image of himself.  
  
"Who are you? What is going on here?" Mamoru demanded answers. The other one just laughed.  
  
"Well, well, if it isn't the great Tuxedo Mask."  
  
Mamoru's shock grew even bigger. How could this man know about his other identity? He decided to transform, since his alter ego didn't seem to be a secret anymore. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a rose. His body began to glow, but nothing happen. Another surprise Mamoru wasn't prepared for.  
  
"Surprise, surprise." The fake twin laughed again. "And I thought you were smarter than that. Don't you know that you can't use your powers in my domain?"  
  
"I guess I just have to fight you with my bare hands." With the last word Mamoru attacked the opponent. The other one launched his attack as well. Their fists met in the middle causing Mamoru's bones to crack. The young man jumped back holing his hand. The false individual just laughed.  
  
"Oh, poor Mamoru. Did it hurt?" He giggled watching Mamoru rub his hand. "Well, think of it as a prelude to what's going to happen to you." Mamoru had to think of something quick.  
  
"Who are you anyway?" Mamoru decided to buy some time. Maybe he could find something out.  
  
"I'm you, and you are me. I thought you knew that already." The fake Mamoru winked at him. "Oh, what a pleasure it will be to watch your precious Sailor Moon in pain. Especially when she finds out that her beloved Tuxedo Mask won't be able to help her."  
  
"You leave Sailor Moon out of it." Mamoru yelled at him. The man just smirked.  
  
"If you think you can stop me then I must burst your bubble. You see I'm here, but I'm not. Even if you figure out how to defeat me I'll still be around."  
  
The real Mamoru thought about the words the man said, that he was there and yet he wasn't. How could this be? If the guy wasn't real, then he must have been a mirage.  
  
"You see I'm indestructible in the world we are in." The opponent kept talking. Mamoru noticed another clue in what the man said. The world they were in wasn't what it seemed to be. In that case the surrounding couldn't be real. He quickly scanned the place. He noticed that the houses he passed on the way to the Town Square were gone. The obelisk was still there but the words on it were different.  
  
"I see you've noticed the little changes I've made to this place. You like it? You see this place will slowly disappear all together and you'll go down with it." Mamoru began to move towards the obelisk. The fake twin did the same. The young man took another step forward, so did the double. He was now only few steps away from the obelisk, but the letters were too small to read. The opponent laughed seeing Mamoru's frustration. Suddenly Mamoru realized that the other man was moving almost the exact same way as he did, including the punch. To double check that he made a step backward. The fake twin did the same. It seemed almost as if Mamoru was looking in the mirror. "Now, if he's my reflection." He thought quickly, "then where is the mirror?" He looked around carefully. The axis seemed to be placed in the obelisk. Mamoru decided to risk it. He took his rose out again.  
  
"I thought you've learned your lesson." The fake Mamoru hissed. The young man just looked at him and threw the rose at the obelisk with all his might. The rose's stem hit it right in the middle causing it to crack. The fake twin gasped in shock.  
  
"But how.?" He started to say but before he could finish the question the surrounding began to fade, and Mamoru found himself in a ball of light. He blinked his eyes to see what was happening. When he opened them again he was lying on the ground surrounded by a crowd of people. They were talking to one another, asking who he was. When they noticed his eyes were open, they quickly helped him up on his feet.  
  
"Are you with the Sailor Team?" Somebody asked from the crowd. Mamoru was overjoyed that he spoke his language. He nodded and quickly gazed around. The obelisk was still standing behind him, but the words on it were big and clear.  
  
"Almighty Onamuji, Your smile is like the rainbow, Your cry is like the echo. Together they are Your powerful weapon."  
  
The last thing he noticed before they led him into a nearby house was an image of a rose carved in the exact place where he struck the stone with his weapon. 


	6. The Lady in Black

CHAPTER 6: THE LADY IN BLACK  
  
A tall senshi with long black hair pulled into a bun stood in the middle of a forest. It was a nice sunny day. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. She looked around. There was something strange hanging in the air, like a warning of a danger. She turned around again trying to find where this sensation was coming from. A sudden gust of wind caused her to shield her eyes. The 'danger' seemed to have waited just for that.  
  
"Dark Dome Close!" she heard from behind.  
  
She tried to turn around but her body froze. The only things she was able to move were her eyes.  
  
"It's impossible!" she thought shocked. "I am the only one who can use that power." 'That's what you thought."  
  
The forest vanished and a man showed up out of nowhere. He had black hair and wore a white shirt and black pants. He was handsome, but there was something cold in his blue eyes.  
  
"Yes, I can read your thoughts." He answered her unspoken question.  
  
"Who are you?" Pluto thought intensely. The man looked at her closely.  
  
"I am somebody who will slowly drain your power, just like I will do with your teammates."  
  
He began to laugh. There was something in his laughter that sent chills down Sailor Pluto's spine. She attempted to move again but nothing happened.  
  
"You're beautiful." The man caressed her cheek. "It will be a shame to destroy such beauty, but I can't take any chances."  
  
Pluto tried to move the staff she held in her hands, to attack the man, but she couldn't. The situation seemed hopeless, when a sudden light filled the air. The man covered his eyes and escaped into the shadows.  
  
"Don't fear!" A female voice spoke from above. Pluto looked up. To her surprise she had no problems moving. She looked down at her hands. The spell seemed to be broken, at least temporarily. When she looked back up she saw a beautiful woman standing in front of her. She wore a black gown with long lacy sleeves. The dress was tied with ribbons across her chest and a silver belt was wrapped around her hips. Her black shoulder-length hair was slowly moving in the gentle breeze.  
  
"Who are you?" Pluto whispered afraid that the vision would disappear.  
  
"I cannot tell you, but the time will come when you and your friends will find out everything. Right now I need your help."  
  
"What can I do?"  
  
"Find the one with the purest dream. Only that special someone can defeat the Dream Master and break the spell that lies over the Galaxy."  
  
"The Dream Master?" Pluto wasn't sure if she'd heard that name before.  
  
"He is the one who trapped you in this dream. And sealed me away. What you see in front of you is a mere reflection of the real me."  
  
A shadow of sadness covered her pretty face.  
  
"I cannot hold him off for much longer. Use the power of Emma, the guardian of the island you're on, to free yourself from this illusion."  
  
The light around both women began to fade. The lady in black finally disappeared. Everything was back to the previous state. Pluto's body was immobilized again. The man came back angry.  
  
"Who was it? Answer me!" he yelled looking around. "It was her, wasn't it? I know it was her, but how? She couldn't have escaped."  
  
Pluto looked at him curiously.  
  
"So you are the Dream Master."  
  
"How do you know my name? She told you, right? What else did she tell you?"  
  
"It's not important. The fact is that you are just an illusion, a dream."  
  
"If you are so sure of it, how come you're still here? Don't you think you would've waken up by now?"  
  
He laughed in her face, but he didn't sound as sure of himself as he was before. Pluto remembered what the lady said about the power of Emma, but she didn't know how or where she was going to find it. Especially since her body was like made out of stone, not able to move.  
  
"I think I've played with you enough. It's time to get serious."  
  
The Dream Master approached her and touched her forehead with his index finger. Pluto felt a wave of energy leaving her body.  
  
"I need to do something quick, or I won't survive."  
  
"Say good bye to the world while you still can, because in few moments your body will be dry of energy."  
  
"Oh, please, the Guardian of Emma, lend me your powers!"  
  
The garnet orb on top of her staff suddenly began to glow bright red. A great energy rushed through Pluto's body. The young woman took a deep breath. Her limbs moved freely again. The man watched her in shock as she lifted the staff and swirled it over her head.  
  
"Now it's my turn to play with you."  
  
Pluto put the staff to her side. Words began to flow through her head. She didn't hesitate to call them out loud.  
  
"Whispers of Souls!"  
  
A shower of purple stars flew from the end of the staff hitting the man in the chest. They caused some sort of vacuum around him. His energy was slowly being pulled from his body.  
  
"I'm not defeated yet!"  
  
He screamed as he vanished. The surroundings began to reappear. Pluto found herself standing in the middle of the forest again. She quickly looked around. Everything seemed to be in tact. The young woman looked up to the sky thinking of the mysterious lady. "Thank you." She whispered.  
  
It was time to find her way out of this forest and get to the main land and the palace.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Sailor Mercury stood in front of a massive door. Her fuku was wet. She landed in the nearby lake. Her body was sore but nothing seemed broken. The water helped soften the impact. As soon as she got out of lake she pulled out her computer and did a scan of the surroundings. From that she found out she was stranded on an island. And now she was standing in front of the only housing structure in the area.  
  
The building had a tall stone wall built around it. The copula of the building reminded Mercury of an observatory she saw back home. She rang the bell and soon the door opened. To her surprise nobody was behind it. She entered with caution. The courtyard was big. Most of it was covered with grass. There was a path leading right through it. She touched her earring and a visor appeared on her face. She began to make her way to the other side of the yard. When she was about 50 yards from the building the main door flew open and an old man came out.  
  
"Welcome to the Kinmoku Observatory." He called out with a big grin on his face. "I don't get visitors very often. My name is Tamazuki Nakano. Please come in."  
  
Mercury hesitated. The man noticed that and smiled again.  
  
"Well, I'm not going to hurt you, but it's up to you to decide if you're going to come in."  
  
He turned around and disappeared behind the door. Sailor Mercury stood outside for a moment trying to decide whether to trust this stranger or not. Finally she walked inside, with the visor still on. She heard some noises coming from behind a door to the left. She pushed it open. Tamazuki was busying himself around the small room, which appeared to be some sort of kitchen. He pulled two cups out of a cupboard. Moments later the water on the stove began to boil and he poured some of it into a teapot. The smell of a freshly brewed green tea filled the air.  
  
"Please, make yourself comfortable." The old man said without turning around.  
  
Mercury knelt down by the short table placed in the middle of the kitchen. Soon she held a steaming cup of tea in her hands. She took a sip and soothing warmth rushed through her body. Until now she didn't realized how cold she was in her wet clothes.  
  
"So tell me, where are you coming from? You don't look like a Kinmokian."  
  
"I'm from planet called Earth. We. I came here because Princess Kakyuu called for help."  
  
"Oh, you must be one of the Sailors we've heard so much about." Tamazuki said excited. He quickly scanned the girl's clothing.  
  
"Judging by your outfit you must be Sailor Mercury. Yes," he added quickly seeing the surprise on the girl's face. "we know all about you. How could we ever forget the fact that you saved our dear Princess."  
  
He got up and walked over to the door.  
  
"Come with me. I want to show you something."  
  
Mercury stood up and followed the man. He led her towards the back of the building. Soon they entered another room. This one was a lot bigger than the kitchen. In the middle of it stood some sort of machinery. Sailor Mercury recognized it immediately as a telescope.  
  
"I saw you all land. I can show you were your friends are." He took the girl by the hand and pulled her to a desk. There was a map spread on it. It had one huge continent in the middle of it and eight small islands scattered around it. Mercury noticed ten red dots on the map. Before she could ask Tamazuki tapped the points with his fingers.  
  
"These are the places where your friends landed. These islands are called Ryujin, Raiden, Benten, Fudo, Ebisu, Emma, Fujin, and Shoki." He pointed to each island as he named them. "This is where you are - Ryujin."  
  
Mercury nodded. She took out her calculator and made a copy of the map. While she was working on the map the man walked over to another machine standing in the corner. He picked up a piece of paper and brought it over to the girl.  
  
"According to this note I got from the palace some of your teammates have already been found." Tamazuki began to read the names of the list. "Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask. They seem to be just fine."  
  
"Five are still missing." Sailor Mercury said more to herself than to the old man. She looked at the map. "Where were they found?"  
  
"Uranus landed on Fujin, Neptune was found on Ebisu, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask were on the main land." The man looked at the map and scratched his chin.  
  
"That's interesting." He muttered under his nose. "Very interesting."  
  
Sailor Mercury looked at him curiously.  
  
"You see," the old man began to explain, "these island are dedicated to our gods and goddesses. Ryujin is the god of the sea. Ebisu is also the god of the sea. He represents the wealth of the sea. If I'm not mistaken you and Neptune are somehow connected with water and its powers."  
  
Mercury nodded.  
  
"Now, I'm not quite sure about Uranus, because Fujin is the god of the wind. He was present at the creation of the world."  
  
"I believe I know the connection. Now, what do the other names mean? Maybe it will give me an idea where to look for the rest of them."  
  
"Ah, yes. Benten is among others the goddess of love, wisdom, and music. Raiden is the god of thunder and lightning. Emma is named after the god of the underworld. Fudo is known as the god of fire and wisdom and Shoki is the god of the afterlife."  
  
"Contact the palace." Sailor Mercury said after a short pause and she explained to him which senshi landed on which island.  
  
"Thank you for your help, Mr. Nakano."  
  
She bowed in front of him and walked over to the door.  
  
"You're going to need a boat if you want to get out of here."  
  
Tamazuki gave her the direction to his boathouse and bidding the girl 'good luck' watched her leave the observatory.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The sound of leaves rustling in a breeze and the singing of birds brought Sailor Mars back to reality. She opened her eyes and closed them immediately. The sun was high up in the sky. She sighed heavily and tried to get up. Her right ankle seemed to be wrenched. She stumbled a little, but managed to lean against a tree trunk before falling back down. She looked around. Olive trees surrounded her from all sides. Most of the branches grew from the top leaving the bottoms of the trunks bare. The leaves were tiny and red. There was something familiar about those trees, even though she knew she had never been here before. As soon as she was sure she wasn't going to fall back down, Mars began to walk towards some buildings she saw on the other side of the garden. It was difficult with a sore ankle, but before long she reached the houses. She sat down on a step to take a break.  
  
"Welcome to Fudo Temple." A monk appeared in front of her. Mars tried to stand up to greet him.  
  
"Please, you need to rest your ankle. I saw you coming out of the garden."  
  
He smiled at her. Mars noticed a jar he was holding in his hand. He opened it and stuck his fingers inside. When he took them back out his fingers were covered with some sort of cream. He knelt down in front of the surprised girl, took of her right shoe and began to rub the substance into her sore foot and ankle. Sailor Mars was too shocked to protest. When the monk was done he stood up and reached out to help the girl up. Mars accepted the offered hand and got to her feet. To her surprise her ankle didn't feel sore anymore. The cooling sensation coming from the paste seemed to have eased the pain.  
  
"You still need to rest. Come with me and I'll show you a place where you can relax." Slowly he led the girl to a room just inside the temple. There was a bed on one side and a table with cushions around it in the middle of the room.  
  
"We are honored to have you as our guest, Sailor Mars of the Earth senshi." He bowed in front of her and walked out leaving the shocked girl to herself. Mars sat down. Moments later the door opened again and another monk brought inside a tray with food and drinks. He sat it down on the table and was getting ready to leave.  
  
"Wait a minute." Mars stopped him before he closed the door. "How do you know who I am."  
  
"We received a message that the senshi from Earth arrived. And since you are wearing senshi fuku." he smiled and bowed.  
  
"Yes, of course. Do you know where the rest of my group is?"  
  
"Yes, it won't be long before you are all united again. Tomorrow one of us will take you to the main land. We have already arranged a transport for you that will take you to the palace."  
  
"Thank you." Mars sighed in relief and gratefully bowed. The monk left the room and the girl could finally relax.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
It was a busy day at the palace. Everybody was getting ready for the Sailor Senshi to arrive. After receiving the message from Tamazuki Nakano it didn't take the Starlights long to find the rest of the girls. Sailor Starhealer made sure that every one of the girls was safely being transported to the palace. Sailor Starmaker supervised the preparations of the quarters for the guest.  
  
The only one that was lacking behind in all that commotion was Sailor Starfighter. She was spending most of her time with Usagi. Fighter decided that it would be best for the girl's health if she took on her Earth form, as Seiya Kou.  
  
"Tell, me Seiya." Usagi asked as they walked through the garden gate. "What is Earth like?"  
  
"It's beautiful. It looks like a blue crystal ball when you look at it from space."  
  
"Is it similar to Kinmoku?"  
  
Seiya looked at the sky as they sat down on a bench. The sun was slowly setting. "Yes, in some ways it is. Both planets have beautiful Princesses as their protectors." He turned towards the girl and took her hand. Usagi blushed gently.  
  
"I missed you, Odango."  
  
"Were we..?" She wasn't sure how to ask. "Were we together?"  
  
A sad smile appeared on the boy's handsome face. He suddenly stood up.  
  
"Come with me. I want to show you something."  
  
Seiya led Usagi out of the garden and into the nearby forest. The whole time he never once let go of the girl's hand. Usagi became nervous. She was about to turn around when they came upon a clearing. There was a beautiful lake in the middle of it. It shone brightly in the setting sun. Seiya pulled the girl towards the beach. They sat down next to each other watching the final rays of sun slowly disappearing under the horizon. The couple didn't talk taken by the beauty of the surroundings. The boy slowly raised his arm and put it gently around Usagi's back. She shivered, but didn't move away. Slowly she lowered her head onto his shoulder. They stayed like that till it got dark. Finally Seiya broke the silence.  
  
"This is my favorite place. I've been coming here every evening since we came back from Earth. It helped me get through the times when I missed you so much it hurt."  
  
He touched the girl's chin and turned her face towards him. They looked deeply into each other's eyes. The boy leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.  
  
"Were we really together?" a sudden thought began to fill Usagi's head. "This feels strange, not right. Is it because I know that he's a girl in his senshi form. No, that's not it. There is something else. No. SOMEBODY else."  
  
Her eyes opened wide. She pushed Seiya away and with a quick apology ran into the dark forest.  
  
"Usagi, wait!" The boy called after her, but she was nowhere to be seen.  
  
The poor girl ran as quickly as she could through the dark woods. She could barely see where she was going in the moonlight. Tears were pouring down her cheeks.  
  
"Who are you?" she kept asking over and over again. "I know you are deep in my heart. Tell me, who you are? What is your name?"  
  
She tripped over a fallen tree and landed face forward in the moss. Her shoulder began to shake as she cried harder and harder.  
  
"Why can't I remember anything? Why? WHYYYY?"  
  
Usagi pounded the ground with her fist. She cried with anger until there were no more tears left in her eyes. She began to calm down. Finally her sobbing started to fade away. Soon she was fast asleep.  
  
She had a dream.  
  
She was sitting on the ground. Four girls were standing around her.  
  
"Hey, Usagi, want to come with us to the Crown?"  
  
The girl with long blond her winked at her.  
  
"You know he's waiting there for you."  
  
"Who's waiting?" she asked.  
  
"She doesn't get it. She never gets it. Just forget her and let's go."  
  
A dark-haired girl turned away with annoyance, but kept looking over her shoulder.  
  
"Get what?" Usagi was getting frustrated. Tears began to fill her eyes as she looked around.  
  
"Crybaby!"  
  
"Why are you always so mean to me?"  
  
"Really, Usagi. Don't you remember anything?"  
  
Big blue eyes looked at her with curiosity. Her short black hair flew into her eyes as she leaned forward.  
  
"Don't tell me you forgot the love of your life? I will never forget my first boyfriend. He had the same smile as your."  
  
"UUUSAAAGIIII!"  
  
A familiar voice came calling from far away. The girl turned around to see who it was. She didn't see anybody but when she turned back to ask the other girls, they weren't there anymore.  
  
"USAGI! WHERE ARE YOU?"  
  
This time it was a different voice, but still familiar. A sudden wind began to howl around her. It made her shiver so hard that it woke her up. She was still lying on the moss covered in the morning dew. She realized she stayed there all night.  
  
"USAGI! ASNWER, PLEASE!"  
  
She recognized the voice immediately. It was Starmaker. She appeared to be a lot closer this time. Usagi quickly wiped her face with her hands and began to walk towards the calling. It wasn't long before she was reunited with the people from the palace. They wrapped her in warm blanket and took her back.  
  
Seiya joined the search party as Starfighter. He was happy that the girl was found but he discretely decided to stay away from her, at least for now. 


End file.
